Our Seven Days
by delusionaldemise
Summary: AU. "I'm sorry, is that a g or a j in your name?" Sometimes working as a barista at Starbucks gets you in tighter situations, especially if 'love at first sight' isn't your forte and your horoscope based the outcome of your life.
1. Chapter 1

**Our Seven Days**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Author's Note: **Sorry if it's a bit rusty, still trying to write Naruto fanfics properly. Feel free to point out any errors you see. This _will_ be a chaptered fic, and the days wherein I update will vary.

* * *

She didn't believe in the red thread of fate, or chance meetings or the impossible meaning of destiny. She believed in horoscopes, tarot cards and the stars above her. She didn't believe in religion, or faith or scientific explanations. She believed in Feng Shui and ancestral traditions.

But most of all, she _never _believed in what people called 'love at first sight' and the thought of 'together forever.'

And knowing herself completely, she would never fall for a man who believed in such things.

The week before the end of winter proved otherwise.

* * *

The remains of the past onslaught of rain was evident as Tenten walked on the damp sidewalk, her chignon buns attracting odd looks from the people who passed by. It was America, after all, and seeing that only a handful of people cherished their Chinese culture, she proudly embraced it, showing a bit of her culture when she had the chance to. Crossing the block she smiled as she reached the Starbucks where she worked the night shift at.

"Good evening, Tenten!" greeted the ever-so enthusiastic Ino. Unlike Tenten, Ino believed in chance meetings and destiny and 'love at first sight.' She was the type of person who would date the next guy she met at the subway. But she was Tenten's friend nonetheless, so she brushed these facts away. It's best not to judge people too quickly, like what her horoscope once said.

"Good evening, Ino." she greeted once Ino reappeared at the counter, her apron off and her purse in hand. "Going on a date?"

Ino nodded, smiling. "Yup, I have a dinner date with Sai!"

"You mean the artist?" Tenten asked, earning a nod from Ino. Needless to say, Tenten did find him attractive, painting at a small studio beside her apartment. So she approved fully. "Have fun then."

Ino squealed as she bid Tenten goodbye and exited the doors. Tenten sighed. As much as she wanted to experience love firsthand, she despised half of the men population, who believed in what she did not believe in. It was a sad thing, really. Oblivious men fall for such petty things that would eventually turn out to be lies.

Walking over to the employee lockers she found hers and placed her backpack inside. She took the apron and wore it, the green cloth contrasting well with her white button-up polo and black skinny jeans. Her black Converse squeaked as she took her card and punched it in, showing that she was ten minutes earlier than her shift was supposed to be. She smiled.

There were two things she liked about her 8 pm to 6 am shift in Starbucks. One was that the pay was good and probably enough to pay for her one-bedroom apartment three blocks away. The second thing was that she didn't tire herself that much, seeing that the volume of people wasn't as much compared to the morning.

She then thought about her horoscope as she looked at the people that entered and exited the shop, thinking of who in the world would walk through those doors and follow what her horoscope told her. That is, to change her life.

* * *

_**Monday**_

_Pisces: You will meet someone who will change your life today._

* * *

Tenten stifled a sigh as the number of people at Starbucks waivered into none. It was Monday after all and seeing that it was the most disliked day of the week, people would just love to crawl under their beds and get the day over with. But then again, that wasn't the main reason she was apathetic. You see, her horoscope told her that she was supposed meet someone life-changing today. That was why she was ecstatic to go to work today. But seeing that it was only fifteen minutes until midnight and her patience was thinning.

She suppressed a groan as she looked through the glass windows, watching as the people walked by, not even sparing a passing glance at the sign at the front. Looking at the watch that read five minutes before midnight, she buried her head on her hands, another soft sigh escaping her lips. It was hopeless, her horoscope was hopeless. Or maybe it was just her, she didn't know.

Then she heard the doors open and looking up, her breath unexpectedly hitched.

By the door, stood a man probably a few inches taller than her, his long _(silky?)_ hair let held together with a low ponytail. He was clad in an _(expensive?)_ suit with the two buttons of his white button up undone. His eyes were milky lavender _(contacts?) _and there was a _(permanent?) _scowl on his face.

_Could this be the person her horoscope was talking about?_

She felt a weird bubbling feeling in her stomach as she looked at the clock _(it's only 11:58!) _then greeted the customer cheerily.

"What may I get you?" she asked in her most perky tone, although faltering when she saw that the man's scowl deepened.

"One tall Peppermint Mocha please." his voice was low and silky _(like his hair!) _and it made Tenten's heart _(almost!)_ leap out of her chest.

"That would be $3.60, please." she said in the most passive way possible.

He pulled out his wallet and gave the exact amount of money to her, smirking as she placed the money inside the cashier. This made her completely flustered.

So she stumbled for a tall cup and the sharpie pen beside the cashier. "Y-Your name is…?"

"Neji." he simply stated. She could only raise her brows with confusion, blatantly ignoring the fact that she just learned the name of the attractive man in front of her. There was an awkward pause before she asked.

"I'm sorry, is that a g or a j in your name?"

He looked at her incredulously and let out a soft sigh before mumbling a 'j.' Tenten nodded and scribbled it down, flustered about her inquiry about his name.

Because seriously, why would you want to embarrass yourself in front of a handsome man by writing his name wrong?

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again when she saw him walk over and sit on the pair of seats nearest to the counter. Remembering her job, she quickly scrambled to make his order. As she waited for the espresso she spared a glance at him, who seemed to be lost in thought. She looked away and shook her head. There was _no_ such thing as love at first sight and there was no way she would bend her beliefs for _him_.

When she formed the drink she poured it on the tall plastic cup, topped it with the plastic cover and walked over to the other side of the counter.

"Tall peppermint mocha for mister Neji!" Tenten called out, although referring to the only customer in the shop. She watched as Neji stood up _(too gracefully)_ and made his way to the counter. He took the drink from her hands and thanked her silently, the smirk still upon his lips.

Well, let's just say Tenten wasn't blushing.

Neji probably caught this because he chuckled.

Tenten wasn't pleased.

"You're going to scare your customers if you stare at them like that, you know." he stated. "Oh, and your hair looks weird."

Tenten opened her mouth to protest but he was already out the door, sipping on his drink as he smirked in victory.

Well, so much for life-changing.

* * *

**Author's Note(2): **This is only an introductory chapter. The others will get better. I promise!

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** Back with an update! First of all I would like to thank all of those who reviewed and followed! Let's aim for more reviews and such, yeah? :) I will be having exams soon, so I hope this update will suffice for the time being. Please enjoy!

* * *

Tenten winced as she set down the bitter coffee that scalded her tongue. Setting down the mug, she stared at the empty wooden seats and tables in front of her. It was already half past eleven, and the last customer had already left a few minutes ago. Sighing, she slumped a little on the seat she sat on in front of the counter. Honestly, she loved the free coffee her job provided, but she made a mental note to request for at least a small television soon. After all, sitting for eight hours staring at the windows and waiting for customers did not entertain her that much.

She snapped out of her thoughts when the door opened. Quickly she stood up and braced herself for the customer, smiling neatly as she scurried to the front of the cashier.

"Welcome to Starbucks, how may I help you?"

"It seems like you haven't changed your weird hairstyle." was the stern reply.

Tenten's smile instantly faltered when she looked up, brown eyes locking with lavender ones.

"Oh, it's you Neji." she deadpanned, letting out a soft sigh. "How may I help you?"

"That's not the right way to treat a customer right, hmm?"

"Well you didn't answer my question, that's why." she shot back, frowning when he started to smirk.

"I'll get a tall Mocha frap then." he answered.

"That'll be $4.00 please."

Neji handed her four one-dollar bills and she placed them on the cashier. Reaching for a tall cup and her sharpie, she was about to write her name when:

"Don't forget, it's a j, alright?"

She looked up to see his face, a mocking smile placed upon his lips. Tenten wanted to smack him right there and then.

"Yes, sir." she mumbled incoherently, flustered as she began scribbling his name down.

Making his order, she sighed and tried to regain composure, apparently beginning a mantra.

_Breathe in and out, Tenten. You will be nice to him. You will be nice to him._

She then glanced at him, eyes widening when she saw him set up his laptop at a table nearby.

Oh, this is going to be a long night.

* * *

_**Tuesday**_

_Pisces: Be nice to people today. You'll never know what good they may do to you._

* * *

"Tall mocha frap for Neji!"

The said man looked up from his laptop; eyebrows knitted with concentration. He stood up _(graceful as always!)_ and made his way to the counter. Tenten shot him a look before handing over the drink to him.

"What?"

"My hair isn't weird. And _by the way_, I got it; your name has a j in it, alright?" Tenten said; lower lip slowly jutted out.

Neji opened his mouth to make a snide remark but shut it when he realized the hint of sincerity and desperation in her voice.

So instead he smirked as he met her eyes. "Fine, I'm sorry."

At this Tenten's eyes widened once again, a blush threatening to creep up her cheeks. "W-What did you just say?"

"I said I'm sorry. I never knew I would hurt your feelings as such." he apologized again.

"O-Oh, it's okay." Tenten mumbled as Neji walked over to his table and continued typing on his laptop.

There was an awkward silence as Tenten watched Neji work silently, eyebrows scrunching occasionally as he sipped his frap. Contemplating on what just happened, she realized that maybe Neji _was_ a nice guy _(despite his cocky attitude)_, and maybe she was just a little too straightforward. They only met a day before, after all, and maybe if she knew him more he would be nicer. Besides, her horoscope _did_ say to be nice to people _(actually, she _has _been nice to people all day, but one last person wouldn't hurt, right?)._

There was a tug in her gut that pushed her to start a conversation with said man. Considering the thought, she sighed as she finished the lukewarm coffee in her mug, letting its bitter taste warm her throat. Gathering her guts, apparently, she looked at Neji and gave him a cheeky smile.

"What are you doing there?"She asked, leaning on the counter and smiling as Neji looked up and scowled.

"What are _you_ doing?"

"Doing my job, of course." she replied, cheekily. Neji eyed her incredulously for a second before smirking. "A barista, after all, may socialize with her customers, am I right?"

"Well I think I _do_ need some company." he said, motioning for the seat across him. Leaving the _counter (because seriously, no one else was coming to buy some Starbucks, let's face it) _she took the plush seat across him, still smiling. Neji silently began working on his laptop once again.

"So, Neji, what do you do for a living?" she asked at an attempt to begin another conversation.

"I work as a personal banker for the Hyuugas." he answered, not bothering to look up from his work.

"Oh, is that the really rich clan who runs a chain of companies?"

"Yes."

"But how did you get to get to work for them?" Tenten then asked, not in an insulting way, but with curiosity.

Then Neji looked up from his laptop, smirking once again as his eyes met hers. "I _am_ related to them, after all."

"Oh, that explains the lavender eyes!" she perked up, smiling at the new information about this man in front of her.

Neji raised a brow at her and nodded slowly. Sure, she had a loud and straightforward personality but it was warm and full of mirth and curiosity unlike the others with loud personalities. It was like he wanted to bask in the warmth of her personality. He wanted to get to know her better.

So he decided that he would try, at least try, to continue the conversation.

"What do you do when you don't work?" he asked simply, resuming to the work on his laptop.

Tenten took the time to think before answering. "I help my friend run the local pound, and then sometimes I train with my friend in taekwondo. Sometimes I help my other friend collect bugs for his bug collection. On days when I don't do anything, I visit the local antique shop to look for weapons."

Neji mused at this. "You do a lot, huh?"

"Yeah," Tenten laughed. "They're tiring and all, yeah, but at least I get to socialize."

"That's nice." he murmured, taking a sip from his frap. "I don't have the time to do any of those."

"Why? I'm sure you have at least a day to relax, perhaps?" she surmised.

Neji shook his head slowly. "I devote all of my time to work. No time for socializing or leisure."

"I see." she frowned, looking at windows where snow fell at a slow pace. "Well this is socializing, isn't it?"

"Yes." he answered. "But it is not a proper conversation because I am working."

"But I don't mind." she replied, making him look up, a brow rose. "I mean, I don't mind if we converse like this."

She turned to him and gave him a light smile. Neji's lips then tugged into what seemed to be a smile. For the third time today, Tenten's eyes widened with surprise, a small tint of red on her pale cheeks.

"I wouldn't mind, either."

Neji then resumed to his work as Tenten started a one-sided conversation, talking about the dogs at the pound, musing on how amazing at taekwondo her friend was. It was just one random topic after the other. He would just nod, comment on the things to be commented on, and sip on his frap occasionally as he continued type on his laptop.

"So, when's your birthday?" Tenten then suddenly asked.

"The third of July." he replied.

"So you're a Cancer, huh…"

Neji raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

Tenten giggled, much like a schoolgirl in front of her childhood crush. "It's nothing. Just some compatibility things, that's all."

"You believe in those kinds of things, huh?"

Tenten nodded, making Neji smirk. "I'm of Chinese descent, that's why I believe in horoscopes and such."

"That's explains your weird hair." Neji added, making Tenten furrow her eyebrows. "I thought we were done with that."

He chuckled lightly. "Yes, we were. Forgive me for that."

Then there was a comfortable silence as she watched him work. After a few more minutes he closed his laptop and sighed with relief.

"Finally finished." he sighed with content as he glanced at his watch. Tenten frowned.

"So you're leaving already?"

"Yeah." he replied, finished what was left of his already-melted mocha frap.

"But I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

This question made Neji, for the second time, smile. "Of course,"

She did a slight wave as he was almost out the door, but he stopped mid-track and turned to her.

"I never got your name."

"It's Tenten." she replied quickly.

"Tenten, huh?" he mused, the name foreign in his tongue. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that he was already out the door, leaving a flustered and blushing Tenten in his wake. As soon as he was out of her vision, she smiled to herself, a feeling of warmth in her chest.

Maybe this what her horoscope was talking about.

* * *

**Author's Note (2): **Ah, I don't really know what to say about this chapter. But I hope you all liked it!

Thanks for reading and please don't hesitate to review! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **Finally back with an update! Sorry if this took a while, I had problems thinking of the flow of the story. Anyways, I'd like to tell you people that I already thought of the plot of the story. And yes, there will be seven chapters, so expect four more. :)

Please enjoy!

* * *

"So what's on your mind right now? You seem lost in thought."

Soft sunlight streamed through the glass windows that late afternoon, making the snow on the ground outside look like a thick blanket of immaculate white. The customers idly chatted on their seats, sipping on their purchased drinks. Tenten snapped out of reverie as she stopped staring blankly and looked at Ino, who seemed to look concerned. Ino's blue eyes narrowed as Tenten showed a startled look.

"Oh, it's nothing." she meekly replied as she entertained another customer.

"Being a shift early by 'accident' and spacing out every so often isn't 'nothing_,' _Tennie." Ino assured, giggling. "Who is it?"

Tenten squinted, a tint of red coloring her cheeks. "It's no one, that's for sure. I just had nothing to do, that's all."

That being said, Ino narrowed her eyes once again and sighed, proceeding to create more orders for the customers. "Okay, if you say so, Tennie."

Tenten giggled looking at her colleague. "Well, there_ is_ someone I met recently. But we're just friends."

At this Ino's eyes widened, face lightening up instantly. "Who is it?"

"He's been a customer for the past two nights already." Tenten explained, not bothering to reiterate on the more important details.

"I see." Ino smiled slyly. "Is there something going on between the two of you?"

It was then Tenten's turn for her eyes to widen, a blush creeping up her cheeks simultaneously. "N-No! We just talked last night, that's all."

"But you like him?" Ino asked, raising a brow.

Tenten shook her head at this, but hesitated for a second. "Maybe, I don't know."

Ino giggled once again at this, making Tenten frown. "I don't know, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah sure, you don't know." Ino murmured as she giggled, entertaining a customer who shot her a baffled look.

* * *

_**Wednesday**_

_Pisces: Listen to what other people will say today. Pure bliss will be yours if you just listen._

* * *

Tenten smiled with accomplishment as she looked at the small radio that sat in front of her. After persuading her youth-loving boss about having some form of entertainment that could accompany her during her work, he finally agreed to let her bring a piece of entertainment of her choice. She decided on bringing the vintage radio she bought at the antique shop a few weeks ago, just because it was she couldn't afford to buy a portable television and she wanted to use it for the longest time now.

Tuning it to find a proper station to listen to, Tenten furrowed her eyebrows, twisting the knob as the static sound filled her ears.

"For the nth time, Tenten, I can help you."

This made the frustrated barista furrow her eyebrows even more, not bothering to turn to the speaker.

"I can do it on my own, Neji, thank you very much." she replied, still twisting the knobs.

Tenten found it very weird that Neji came in thirty minutes earlier than he did before, no laptop in hand, and ordering a caramel macchiato. She also found it weird that he was in a tight-fitting shirt and jeans today – which made her flustered – instead of the usual business attire he wore for the past two days. "No, you can't." Neji replied with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Yes, I can." Tenten deadpanned, still not letting Neji work on the radio.

A few minutes later, when it was of no avail, she sighed in defeat, slumping on her chair as she closed her eyes.

"Here, let me try."

At this Neji turned the radio to face him, turning the knobs to find a decent station. Tenten watched as the look on his face slowly shifted to from a stoic one to a concentrated one, tongue slightly sticking out from the corner of his lip. It made her blush slightly, looking away from him. It was like this for a few minutes, until they both could hear a proper tune emanating from the old radio. Smirking, Neji looked at her before taking his seat once again.

Tenten mused at the familiar song that filled her ears, closing her eyes she began humming the melody quietly. Neji raised a brow.

"You know this song?" he asked, making Tenten jump a little, eyes fluttering.

"Ah, yes." she replied, smiling. "My mother made me listen to different kinds of music when I was little."

"I see."

There was a comfortable silence as a violin's tune filled the coffee shop. Tenten leaned on her chair, resuming her humming of the tune. Neji looked at her as he sipped on the caramel macchiato on his hand, lips tugging slightly upwards when she still continued humming, obviously carried away with the song.

He had to admit, he enjoyed her company. He did, after all, have no time whatsoever for socializing.

So when the next song begun to play, a soft tune that was perfect for a waltz, he stood up and reached for her hand.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, instantly making her eyes flutter open again.

She blushed. "I-I… don't know how to dance."

"I'll teach you." and at this he took her hand and made her stand up.

Carefully he positioned her hand on his shoulder and gripped the other one. She felt her heart frantically beat against her chest as she looking at him, feeling his arm on the small of her back. Opening her mouth to protest, she didn't have the time to because they were already moving with the beat. He counted a pattern of threes as they glided across the linoleum floor. Once or twice she stepped on him, but he ignored it, laughing softly whenever she did so. This made her flustered, making her more careful on what she stepped on.

Albeit protesting against it, Tenten felt lightheaded as she felt her hand linked with his, dancing on what wasn't a dance floor, but part of her workplace. She laughed lightly when she did a little twirl, ending the song and their little dance.

"I… never danced like that before." she breathed, giggling slightly when he released her.

"You never learned how to do the waltz…?"

Tenten shook her head, smiling. "Yes, I'm sure. My family doesn't provide private classes unlike the Hyuugas."

Neji raised a brow. "How did you know that?"

"I did some research." she giggled, earning an incredulous look from him. "What? I can't research about the Hyuugas?"

"It's not that." he replied, lavender eyes narrowing slightly. "I… just don't like talking about my clan."

"Oh," Tenten muttered, watching as Neji's lips formed into a thin line. She winced. "I'm sorry."

Now the atmosphere changed into something more serious, and Tenten squirmed slightly in her seat as she looked at Neji, whose face turned dark.

"Well, it's not like I hate them." Neji sighed, staring at his caramel macchiato in hand. "I resent them."

Tenten opened her mouth to ask why, but sighed when Neji looked at her, cool eyes intimidating her. He leaned on his chair, sipping on his drink before beginning to speak.

"Something happened seven years ago, which made me resent them greatly." he began, closing his eyes as if to remember a bitter memory. "My clan, you see, is divided into two – the Main house and the Branch house. The members of the latter were to always serve the Main house, no matter the circumstances. I am part of the Branch house, and so was my father."

"Since our clan was prestigious and rich, every member of the clan was prone to be involved in dangerous crimes. This is why my father became a policeman. One day, my cousin and daughter of my uncle, Hinata, was kidnapped by a couple of employees my uncle fired. Being a policeman, my father went after the kidnappers, and in the process he was shot by one of the kidnappers. With a bullet lodged in his chest he was still able to kill the kidnappers and rescue my cousin, but he still died in the end."

Neji opened his eyes and looked Tenten, who slowly bit her lip. He chuckled before sighing.

"When he died my uncle took me under his wing, and he has always downgraded me, that is why I thrive to meet his standards. Not just his standards, but also the standards of the clan."

"I'm sorry –"

"No, it's okay. It's not your fault."

There was silence between them as he finished the contents of his cup and she fiddled with her fingers, a slow melody poured out of the vintage radio. He sighed when he set the cup down on the table.

"Sorry if I made things awkward between us." he softly murmured, looking at Tenten who was looking down.

She laughed softly, looking up with regret on her face. "It's okay, really."

Then silence filled the space between them once again. Both listened to the radio, the songs still slow and melodic. When a certain song played, another song for waltzes, he stood up and offered her his hand.

"Would you like to dance again?" he asked, smirking.

A small smile was placed upon her lips as she eagerly took his hand. Together they danced once again, this time with fewer mistakes and more solemnity. She could feel her heart beat slowly as he held her tight, guiding her across the tables scattered across the shop. She laughed lightly when he hit a coffee table as they spun, his eyes narrowing as her laughter reached his ears. But her laughter was contagious, his lips tugging into a small smile as they glided across the floor.

"Thank you." he muttered when the song on the radio finished, a small blush on her face as she laughed again.

"What for…?"

"For listening to me." he replied, as another song begun to play again.

At that they began to dance again, and for once in her life, she wished they could stay like that forever, her heart fluttering uncontrollably as she felt his heartbeat in time with hers.

* * *

**Author's Note (2):** Okay, wow. I don't know what to say. Really.

So I'll just tell you people about my one-word prompt project! Please visit my profile for details!

Thanks for reading and please don't hesitate to review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **Hey again! Finally back with an update. I apologize if the updates are kinda slow, school and writer's block get to me sometimes. Anyways, let's see if this chapter could get more reviews, yeah? (But then again, I highly doubt that, haha.) (I'm being dramatic again, but yeah, enjoy the chapter!)

* * *

Tenten scowled as she completed serving yet another customer, mentally slapping herself when she set the drink on the counter _too _hard. Her face was dark and somber, dark shadows etched under eyes as she mumbled incoherently about coming back once again to the customer. Her deadpanned voice _(or her face, probably)_ scared the customer because he took the drink faster than she'd place it, scurrying out of the store as fast as possible.

She honestly didn't know why she was extremely cranky. She racked her brain of the reasons why she was indescribably annoyed at the moment, trying to recall what she has done the entire day…

Her thoughts snapped back to reality when she heard the door open once again. Looking up, her eyes cringed to see a familiar customer.

"Good evening, Neji." she greeted slowly, waving slightly as he made his way to the counter.

"Hn, good evening." he greeted, not bothering to wave back.

Tenten raised a brow at his monotonous response, but when she noticed the frown on his face and his narrowed eyes she knew something was wrong.

Well, this was interesting.

* * *

**_Thursday_**

_Pisces: Remember to keep your temper in check. You might affect others around you._

* * *

"We're both upset today."

Neji looked up from his laptop, the frown on his face still evident. He eyed her blankly. "So?"

"So," she started, taking her regular seat across him. She crossed her leg over the other before leaning. "We're going to tell each other why we're upset."

He glanced at her incredulously, sipping his black coffee. "You're in no position to know my problems."

"And why is that so?"

"Because," he mumbled, setting down his drink on the table before resuming to staring at his laptop screen. "My problems are not yours, and your problems are not mine. So why bother?"

This made Tenten furrow her eyebrows, a small frown on her face. "If we tell each other our problems we might help each other out."

Neji looked up at her and laughed cockily before resuming to typing on his laptop. "I don't need your help." he stated smugly.

Tenten opened her mouth to answer back but remembering what her horoscope stated she closed it again, careful not to let her temper break loose. Instead she let out a big huff as she leaned on the chair once again, crossing her arms against her chest.

There was silence as Neji worked and Tenten wondered why he seemed to be upset. Did she do something that offended him? Did he notice that she was upset as well? Did something…

It took a while before Neji stopped typing and looked up at Tenten.

"Where is your radio?" he inquired, sipping on his black coffee once again.

"Inside my locker." she replied, her train of thought disappearing. "It was hard to find a decent station earlier. Why were you asking?"

"Bring it out." he said, much more like an order. "I'll find a station for you."

At this Tenten stood up and made her way to the back of the counter. A door swung open then shut. On what seemed like a minute later the door swung open again, this time revealing a Tenten with her vintage radio in her hands. She walked past the counter and in front of Neji, placing the radio in his hands.

"Don't break it, yeah?" she murmured, walking over to her chair and sitting down.

Neji looked at the vintage radio in his hands and began twisting the knobs again, a static sound filling the store. Tenten watched intently as he concentrated, his eyebrows furrowed.

It took a while before he finally found a station. As Mozart's piece played through the old, vintage speakers he smugly smirked, placing the radio in front of Tenten.

"Thank you." she slowly muttered, watching as he continued working on his laptop. Silence reigned once again as she leaned on the chair once again to listen to the music, closing her eyes and appreciating the sound of the piano fill her ears. It calmed her and almost instantly felt her irritation towards him and what made her cranky diminish.

They were like that for a few minutes, before Neji broke the silence, sipping on his black coffee before speaking up.

"Tenten…?"

At this the barista's eyes fluttered open, the frown on her lips disappearing slowly.

"I'm sorry for being rude to you earlier. I was just very upset." he apologized, avoiding her eyes.

This took Tenten by surprise, biting her lip as she asked. "Then why did you come here if you were upset?"

"I thought you wanted to see me." he replied, a teasing smirk on his lips.

Fighting back the blush that was threatening to show, she laughed uneasily. "Really, now."

Neji chuckled. "You know I was kidding."

Tenten mused at the sudden change in atmosphere. Noticing that Neji's expression also softened, she smiled.

"So," she began once again. "Why are you cranky?"

"Why are _you _cranky?" he shot back, not bothering to look up at her.

Tenten thought about this for a while before she replied. "Well, Kiba asked me to watch over the pound for an hour, and I had to serve a couple of snotty, picky adopters while he was gone."

"And how did that go?" Neji inquired.

Tenten huffed as she pouted slightly. "I kept on choosing the big, intimidating ones with the pointy claws and rabid teeth. They said I had a bad taste in dogs."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "Then after that Lee called me up, asking me to visit him at the sports center. When I went there, he was in front of a bunch of students, teaching them about the importance of youth!"

He raised a brow. "And that pissed you off… why?"

"Because he kept on using me as an example." she pouted, crossing her arms against her chest. "I don't like being an example for the wonderful joys of youth, thank you very much."

He chuckled, amused at her look of immaturity. Although he found her cute looking that way, he brushed off the fluttering feeling in his stomach, staring at his laptop as he began typing again.

There was a pause before Tenten spoke up. "Why were _you_ cranky?"

"Because I had an argument with my uncle." he replied, continuing his typing. "We argued about some business agreement."

"Oh." Tenten murmured. He then looked up at her and she smiled slightly.

There it was again – the fluttering feeling in his stomach. He didn't know why he felt such thing when he was around her, but he was very sure that he didn't like that feeling. It wasn't healthy, he noted.

"So Tenten," he coughed slightly, brushing aside the feeling once again and changing the topic. "Tell me something about yourself."

She raised a brow. "Why?"

"I want to know more about you." he stated, making her flush and giggle slightly. "What?"

"I'm sorry; it's my first time to be asked such a question from a customer." she mumbled.

She smiled at him again before tapping her finger against her chin, thinking of things to say.

"Well… I don't really have a last name. Don't ask why. My birthday's on the ninth of March and I live three blocks away from here. My favorite color is orange and I like gardenias. I have a deep fascination for antique weapons. I have a couple of century-old samurai hung somewhere in my apartment. My parents live a couple of states away and they visit me twice a month. I hate eating pickled plums and I love Chinese food…" her voice trailed off as she still thought of things to say.

"I like listening to the sound of rain and I like sleeping with the lights on. Weird, but it keeps me sane. I believe in constellations and horoscopes and I still practice Feng Shui in my apartment. I know how to do tarot reading and I don't like people who make fun of my chignon buns. I never had a boyfriend, and I'm probably not looking for one."

When she ran out of other things to say, she sighed softly, looking into his eyes. There was silence until she broke it, smiling uneasily at him. "I'm weird… huh?"

Neji, who was listening to her as she spoke, smiled a little. "I don't think you're weird. I find you interesting, actually."

Tenten blushed, completely flustered at what he said. "T-Thanks, I don't really think people would think I was."

"Well you should now. By the way, you shouldn't stay cranky as well." he mused, closing his laptop.

At this she chuckled. "Look who's talking."

"Hn, whatever." he replied, standing up as he slung his laptop back over his shoulder. As he made his way to the door he stopped, turning over to her with a smirk. "Oh, and you're cute when you pout."

Before she could even reply he was already waving his hand as the glass door slung closed, and she could only watch his figure walk away. Shaking her head to wipe away the blush on her face, she put a hand over to her chest, hoping the erratic pace of her heart would stop. She smiled lightly.

* * *

**Author's Note (2): **Instead of sulking about the chapter I just wrote maybe I should take this space to promote my other one-shots (please go read them!) and yeah. Anyways, if you haven't seen it, go visit my profile for my one-word prompt project! I still have two pending but I'm sure having more requests wouldn't hurt a bit.

Reviews inspire me to write more, yeah? :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note:** And we're back! I would like to personally thank everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed this story. :) Here's a chapter dedicated to you guys. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

It was half past eleven and there was still a large volume of customers, Tenten noted, as she scrambled for her cup and her sharpie to write the name of another customer.

Fridays were not exactly her favorite days. An unpopular opinion, people may say, but she hated Friday like she currently hated the obnoxious voice of the customer talking on the phone a few tables away. Fridays were long and excruciating, for it was always the end of another week for regular workers, therefore increasing the number of customers than it usually was during the rest of the week. And being the person she was and being the only person hired at her shift she didn't like it that way.

Sighing, she made another frap and called out the name on the cup, watching as a blonde man with blue eyes walked up to her. She raised a brow when he looked at her with a spark of recognition in his eyes.

"You're Tenten, right?" he asked, pointing a finger at her.

She nodded slowly as she handed him the drink. How and why he knew her name, she didn't know. She cringed slightly when his face brightened, a cheeky smile on his lips. However, what completely surprised her was the next thing he was about to say.

"Neji talks about you a lot."

* * *

**_Friday_**

_Pisces: Good fortune and love will come in the form of material things and people._

* * *

"… What do you mean he talks about me a lot?"

Tenten narrowed her eyes at the blonde man, his cheeky smile still on his face. She didn't care if she looked flustered; she had a valid reason to look that way anyway.

"He just does!" he replied, laughing.

"How do you even know him?" she asked, glancing once or twice at the cashier to see if any customers were in need of entertaining. Fortunately, there were none.

"He's one of my best friends! Sasuke being the first, of course." he answered, giving her a thumbs up.

This statement took her by surprise, making her eyes widen by a fraction. "You mean Sasuke, the philanthropist?"

He nodded, laughing once again. "I have good friends, don't I?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess." she murmured.

She wondered why she was still holding a conversation with this stranger, this stranger who was Neji's best friend. Most importantly, she wondered why he even _had_ friends; given the fact that he said he didn't have time for socializing.

"I thought Neji didn't have time for socializing?" she asked.

"I don't."

Startled, both instantly recognized the voice that cut into their conversation, the blonde man turning around and smiling. "Oh, it's Neji!"

"Naruto." Neji addressed to the blonde man. He then smirked slightly when he looked at Tenten. "Good evening, Tenten."

Flustered, she waved slightly. Naruto, the blonde man, laughed. "What do you mean you don't have time for socializing, Neji?"

"I don't, Naruto." he explained, crossing his arms against his chest. "But you seem to visit the compound everyday…"

This astonished the blonde, because he slightly jumped, pointing an accusatory finger at the stoic Neji. "I-I don't visit because of you, Hyuuga!" Naruto pointed out, completely flustered. "I've been checking to see if Hinata wasn't busy with preparations!"

"Oh? Then why don't you help her with the preparations, _then_ you could spend time with her?" Neji suggested mockingly, making Naruto frown.

"Then maybe I will!" he replied, stomping away with his drink in hand. But before opening the doors he spun around, his face brightened up once again.

"It was nice meeting you Tenten!" he called out.

And with that, he exited the shop. She giggled. He raised a brow.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She looked at him and smiled.

"Nothing." she replied. "So, what are you getting today?"

He shook his head, smirking. "I'm alright, thank you."

She eyed him suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. "Why are you here, then?"

"I wanted to give you this." he replied, putting what seemed to be a medium-sized box wrapped in pastel blue parcel on the counter. This took Tenten by surprise, because she looked at him incredulously.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing at the box.

Neji smirked, lavender eyes meeting her brown ones. "I thought I might give you something, you know."

"Why?" she asked, taking the box in her hands. It was heavy, she noticed, as she placed it on a ledge below the counter.

"I'd like to thank you for being nice to me."

"O-Oh, sure." Tenten stammered, blushing slightly.

She marveled at Neji's generosity. He, who she only met a few days ago, was already giving her a gift of some value. Was she that of a person in his life to be given a gift? She wondered.

"I want to see you open the gift." he stated, crossing his arms against his chest. There was what seemed to be a smile on his lips. "I'll be waiting."

Tenten opened her mouth to answer but he has already left the counter, a new customer already by the cashier. Hurriedly she walked over to it, entertaining the middle-aged lady with a cheeky smile. At the corner of her eye she saw Neji sitting at the farthest corner of the show, reading what seemed to be a magazine. Enthralled by this, she subconsciously beamed at the customer, who was impressed at her enthusiasm.

* * *

Tenten sighed in relief as she watched the last customer leave through the glass doors. Glancing at the corner where Neji sat, she smiled to see the man still reading a magazine, a couple of them already on the coffee table. She took the wrapped gift from the ledge underneath the counter and walked over to him.

"Hey." she greeted, smiling at him.

He put down his magazine and smirked. She took the seat across him, the gift on her lap.

"What is it?" she asked, eyeing him like a five-year old. He chuckled.

"Just open it."

At his command she did, gingerly taking off the parcel. Placing the unwrapped box on the table, she lifted the lid, eyes widening slightly at the content inside.

A dagger that seemed to be centuries old lay inside the white box. Its blade gleamed silver, twinkling against her eyes. A gold carving of a dragon served as its handle, what seemed to be the cause of its weight. A velvet tassel was at the edge of the handle.

It was unlike anything she had seen before, she noted, as she took the dagger in her hands. She winced at its weight, but she marveled at it nonetheless.

"Wow." she gasped, eyeing the dagger from different sorts of angles. Then at Neji, who was watching her intently.

There was a smile that graced his lips, making her blush slightly as she asked, still searching for words to say. "Where…?"

"At the antique shop, the one you often go to." he answered, observing her as she gingerly put back the dagger in its case. "I just… happened to pass by."

Tenten noticed the hesitation in his voice and she giggled at this, making his stoic expression soften the slightest. Then there was comfortable silence between the two. As he looked at her put the lid back, he couldn't help but smile a little, an odd feeling of warmth spread across his chest.

"Thank you, Neji." she smiled, meeting his eyes. "I really appreciate it."

He chuckled at this; amused that she really liked his gift. "No problem."

There was hesitation in her voice as she spoke, her eyes still on his. "Is there… anything you'd like me to give you?"

At this he shook his head, smirking slightly. "Just stay with me and keep me company, that's all I ask."

"O-Okay." she nodded, hoping he didn't notice her breath hitch. Her heart beat erratically against her chest and there was an uncontrollable fluttering in her stomach. What did he just say…?

There was a pause while Tenten processed what Neji had just said. Although she was obviously blushing and completely flustered, she slightly ducked, taking interest in the floor instead of the man in front of her.

She opened her mouth to speak but then he looked at his watch, slightly frowning when he saw the time. "Well, I have to leave now."

Tenten's smile faltered; a hand on her chest as she watched him stand up and leave.

"C-Come back tomorrow, okay?" she asked, making it sound like more of a plea.

Neji turned around and met her eyes once again, smiling softly as he replied. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

Then he left, the glass door slowly closing as he exited through. At this Tenten tried to stop her head from spinning, her heart from beating _too_ fast, and her stomach from churning too uncomfortably. The blush on her face was extremely evident, as his words replayed in her head like a broken record.

_Just stay with me and keep me company, that's all I ask._

* * *

**Author's Note (2): **Alright, I don't really know what to say. But... 3 chapters to go! (Yes, there is a correction. There will be _8_ chapters, my bad.) Please support the story by reviewing and following! Thanks again for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

**Author's Note: **Hello once again! First off I would like to sincerely apologize for the slow update. I seemed to have writer's block and school was such a pain. Anyways, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

When the doors of Starbucks opened at ten thirty-seven in the evening, Tenten looked up from her mug of coffee, a small smile placed upon her lips. She didn't mind if she was blushing, or completely flustered as the man she waited for entered through the doors, the never-changing smirk on his lips. It has happened for the past few days, after all.

"Good evening, Neji." she greeted, smiling when his eyes met hers.

Neji nodded in recognition, smiling slightly. "Good evening, Tenten."

She watched quietly as he wove through the plenty chairs and coffee tables, and to the seat nearest to the cashier. As he did she noticed that his tie was undone, carefully slung on his broad shoulders. His white polo was unbuttoned on the top, eyes sullen and he just looked plain _tired_. As he sat down on the seat, he let out a small sigh of relief.

"What can I get you today?" she inquired.

Neji's lavender eyes met hers, a small, yet tired smirk on his lips. With a low whisper, he spoke. "Surprise me."

With that, Tenten nodded slightly as she disappeared to make a drink. The slow humming of the coffee grinder and its smell then slowly filled the air as Neji patiently waited, resting upon the chair. He closed his eyes as his fingers drummed against the mahogany arm rest, letting the sounds and smells of coffee and the presence of Tenten overwhelm him.

When she finished the drink Tenten happily walked back to Neji's table. Setting down the hot cup of coffee on the table, she smirked.

"Your drink's done, Neji." she said, glancing at him.

But then her eyes looked up at Neji who seemed to be already asleep. His lips were parted slightly as his body lay slumped against the chair. His grip on the armrest was loose, stands of hair falling on his peaceful face. He looked so… ethereal, Tenten thought, as she walked over to him and tucked a few strands of hair behind his ear. A smile of amusement tugged on her lips, as she then walked over to the bin of magazines. Picking up a random one, she went to the seat across his and sat.

"You really are tired, huh, Neji?" she mused to herself, beginning to read as she waited for her fatigued customer to wake up.

* * *

**_Saturday_**

_Pisces: Love comes in the form of slumber, conversation and confessions._

* * *

When Neji finally regained consciousness, he slightly panicked when he came to that he wasn't in this bed, but in a seat. And that he wasn't in his home, but somewhere blocks away from it. His heart skipped a beat when his eyes fluttered open, senses coming into as well.

"Good morning, Neji!"

Slightly jumping, he sat up straight. He was surprised to see Tenten, who put down her magazine. There was a soft smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm alright. I apologize for sleeping, moreover sleeping in Starbucks." he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Tenten giggled slightly, making Neji flustered. "It's alright, some people fall asleep here sometimes. I don't mind."

"Aa,"

There was silence as Tenten walked over to the magazine bin and dropped the magazine she was reading. Smiling, she walked back to her seat and sat, eyeing Neji who seemed to be drinking the cup of coffee.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked quietly.

"Something like thirty minutes," she replied, looking at her watch. "Your coffee cooled so I drank it and replaced it."

Tenten grinned as Neji eyed her, lavender eyes narrowing. She noticed this and laughed, her bubbly giggle reverberating against the four walls of the coffee shop. He raised a brow.

"Don't worry, it's on the house." she said, winking.

Then silence reigned once again as Neji sipped on his apparent free coffee, Tenten watching him with a smile. She mused on how vulnerable he looked while he was asleep _(it's not like she was watching him, though)_.

"So why did you come here if you were tired, Neji?" she asked, titling her head slightly.

Neji smirked as he answered. "I needed to see you…because I needed to give you this."

Shifting slightly, he pulled out something from his pocket and slid it across the table, her fingers catching it. She eyed the small white envelope conspicuously.

"Open it."

Doing as told, she opened the envelope, pulling out a card. Its borders were embedded gold, pristine handwriting on the center of the card.

"A… wedding invitation!" she gasped, glancing at him and back at the card.

Neji nodded, amused at her startled expression. "Read it."

Her brown eyes scanned the content of the card which held details, names and the like. When she finished, she looked up at him, eyes narrowed.

"Why me?" she asked.

"Naruto wants to see you." he replied. "… and he said I needed a date."

At this she blushed slightly, heart skipping a few beats. She giggled.

"I would love to go, but…" she hesitated for a second, before sighing. "I don't really have the money to buy a dress for the occasion. You see, the rent took a big toll on my money this month."

Neji raised a brow at this, before smirking, arms crossed across his chest. "We'll see about that."

Catching on to what Neji just said, Tenten frowned, flustered. "N-No! It's alright. You don't need to buy me a dress!"

"I insist." he stated, closing his eyes. "If I do you will go right?"

Tenten tilted her head. "Yes, but why do you insist, though?"

He responded in a low whisper. "I need you to go."

"O-Oh, okay." she muttered, nodding. "I'll go."

Neji's lips tugged into a small smile at this, making her look away subconsciously, her cheeks sporting a little blush.

"Thank you."

There was comfortable silence once again. Neji finished the contents of his coffee as she looked over the contents of the card once again.

"How did Hinata and Naruto meet?" she asked, reading their names written in elegant cursive writing. She looked up at Neji, who set down the empty cup of coffee on the table.

Neji pondered about this for a moment, before leaning on the chair once again. "If I recall correctly, they were schoolmates. Naruto accidentally hit her in the head with a football while she was running laps around the track. A couple of apologies later and along with some free tickets to ramen, they began dating. Well, at least that's what they told me."

"That's nice." she commented, grinning. "I wish I had some love story like that."

"I'm sure you will."

"You think so?" Tenten asked as her face brightened up at his statement.

Neji nodded, smiling slightly once again. He was amused by the barista's cheeriness at the moment, he can give that. And there was just something about that smile of hers that made him feel warm inside and made him want to smile, much akin to a drinking hot chocolate on a winter's night – although it was something more than that.

Tenten smiled as she held up a conversation with him, speaking of happy things and the like. He would respond at times, commenting on some things and chuckling on the rest. But he kept his focus on her smile, or something like that.

But then there was one statement that gave her his full attention, making him sit up straighter, looking at her with scrunched eyebrows.

"Have you ever been in love, Neji?" she asked, grinning at him once again. "I'm sure you have."

At this Neji slowly shook his head, making her eyes widen slightly with shock. "Never…?"

"Never." he stated. "Although… I think I am at the moment. I'm not very sure though."

Tenten gasped at this, much like a kid who just saw his favorite candy at the candy store. "Who is it?"

Neji flinched. "It's… a secret of course."

"Oh, yeah, right. I apologize." Tenten muttered, her smile faltering.

"B-But I'll tell you on the day of the wedding. If you wish." he countered, making her smile appear once again.

"Alright," she exclaimed, her eyes holding mirth and happiness. Neji subconsciously smiled at this again.

Tenten moved on to another topic as Neji listened intently. She spoke of many things once again, of zodiac signs and friends and constellations and how she had to rearrange her furniture, and what she found at an online shopping site the other day. Neji mused at this, but all too suddenly at the topic of interstate sports competitions he was reminded of something important, something he didn't want to think of. At this, his fist subconsciously clenched, teeth gritting.

"I-I have to go." he then spoke up in the middle of Tenten's story. Tenten's smile faltered at the tone of his voice and she nodded, watching as he stood up, a thin line set upon his lips.

"I apologize. Goodnight Tenten." he murmured as he quickly left without bothering to look back.

Tenten flinched, a frown on her lips. She could only wonder what was wrong.

* * *

**Author's Note (2): **So yup. I don't really know what to say anymore. All I know is that I will be happy if you all review. So please do. :) Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **Hello once again! I would again like to apologize for the wait. I seem to be completely uninspired and well, yeah, that's probably it. So to make it up to you all, here's the longest chapter I have written for Our Seven Days. Please enjoy!

* * *

A tired barista let out a sigh as she looked at the unchanging sea of wooden chairs and coffee tables in front of her. From the large windows she could already see the sky changing to a crisper, lighter shade of orange, the signal of a new day. Music emanating from her vintage radio entered her ear and exited the other, albeit being her only company for the early morning. Although it wasn't evident, she was extremely irritated and saddened, mainly because a certain person did not visit her during the night.

_Had she done something wrong? Did she irritate him to a certain extent? Why did he leave all of a sudden?_ These thoughts swam through her head, making her even sadder by the minute. She stifled a sigh as she leaned on the counter, resting her head on the cold, wooden surface. She honestly hoped this didn't bother her as it was at the moment.

Then she heard the door open and she looked up, expecting to see her co-worker who was to take the morning shift. But her face fell and her heart skipped multiple beats when her brown eyes saw lavender.

"Good morning, Tenten." the man breathed, a tired smile on his lips as he walked towards the counter.

Tenten scrunched her eyebrows as she looked down, with no intention to look at him. "Neji… what are you doing here? You don't usually…"

"I know." he interrupted, running a hand through his hair. Disheveled locks fell on his face; his polo was creased on some edges and his sleeves at different lengths. It was as if he was much in a hurry to get to Starbucks. "I apologize. I intended to visit you this early."

She raised a brow as she looked up. "And why's that?"

"… I wanted to spend time with you without…" Neji coughed a little as a smile broke out. "… all the caffeine and coffee tables and chairs in the way."

"A-Ah, then you should've told me, you idiot!" Tenten exclaimed as she looked away, a blush spreading throughout her cheeks. "Then I wouldn't be so worried and –"

"You were worried?" he asked, an amused smirk on his lips. "I never knew you could be so concerned about me, Tenten."

"That's not the point!" she fought back, exasperated. Her cheeks were as red as ever. "I meant –"

Neji raised a brow as he waited for an appropriate comeback, but no sound escaped Tenten's lips. A few seconds more passed, and she turned on her heel, making her way to the employees' room.

"I'll be there in a moment." she murmured under her breath before entering the employees' room, leaving Neji with a victorious smirk on his lips.

Oh, this day was going to be fun.

* * *

_**Sunday**_

_Pisces: Spend the time with the people you love. You may never know when you may see them again._

* * *

"So where are we going today, Neji?"

Neji looked to his left, where Tenten stood. Her arms were wrapped around her small frame, cheeks flushed and he wondered if it was because of the cold wind or what he had said earlier. He smiled softly.

"Wherever you want." he replied as she looked at him, eyebrows scrunched.

"… fine." she mumbled as she began walking, Neji falling into step with her.

There was silence as the two walked along the sidewalk. The sky was now of a soft, blue shade as the sun slowly made its way up on the east. There were few people who walked through the streets, either making their way to their shops or just taking a leisurely walk. Seeing that it was a Sunday, there was no motion of anyone rushing, making the place more peaceful.

Tenten began speaking as they wove through the different blocks, her topics ranging from work to her peaks of interest. Neji nodded along as he listened, delighted that they did not have anything of an awkward silence.

Then they were speaking of the different types of coffee when Tenten stopped midsentence and stopped in her tracks altogether, realizing that they stopped in front of what seemed to be a dog pound. Her face brightened up.

"We're here!" she beamed at Neji, who raised a brow.

"You wanted to go here?" he asked, reading the sign on the top.

Tenten nodded as she latched on to Neji's arm, entering the dog pound.

A bell rang as Tenten pushed the glass door, a head looking up. The man, with chestnut hair and markings on his face, brightened up when he saw them.

"Tenten, what are you doing here on such short notice?" the man cheerily greeted, pulling the woman to an embrace.

Neji's eyebrows subconsciously rose at that, his arms quickly crossed against his chest. Tenten smiled brightly as she let go of the man, motioning to Neji.

"This is Neji." she introduced to the man, who raised a brow in recognition.

"So you're Neji!" the man marveled, shaking Neji's hand. "Tenten's told me a lot about you!"

Tenten punched the man's arm as if on instinct, her face turning red. Neji smirked, an amused look on his face. "Oh? She does?"

The man nodded, opening his mouth to reply but Tenten pulled him back, covering his mouth with her hand.

"That's a little too much information, isn't it?" she uneasily murmured, flinching when the man squirmed under her grip. "Anyways, this is Kiba. His mom owns the dog pound."

"But I'm going to own it someday! Just you wait!" Kiba interjected, releasing himself from Tenten's grasp.

"Sure you will." Tenten mused, returning to Neji's side. "Where's your mom?"

"Ah, she went to support the animal movement somewhere. Won't be coming back until Tuesday." he replied, returning to his place behind the counter. "So what are you two doing here?"

"Neji wanted me to bring him around the town. No idea why." she shrugged. "Have the dogs been fed?"

Kiba shook his head. "But you guys can help me."

Tenten, who seemed excited by the thought, smiled. "Yeah, we can help!"

Neji, who stayed silent the whole time, frowned. "I-I'm not very sure about this though." he interjected. "I'm not very good with dogs." In fact, he has had many bad encounters with dogs. A couple of incidents ended him up in the infirmary with bite and scratch marks on his skin.

"Eh, it doesn't matter! Come on, let's feed them!" Tenten gleefully said as she dragged Neji and entered the door by the counter, where they could hear the muffled barks of the different breeds of canines inside. The smell of dog made Neji's nose wrinkle uncomfortably.

He bit his lip as he stifled a sigh. This was not the way he expected 'quality time with Tenten' would be.

* * *

Neji rubbed his temples at an attempt to suppress the incoming headache. Sure, some the dogs may be dubbed as 'cute', but their endless tirades of barking and yapping made him want to throw a shoe at them (with no offense to the animalists, of course.)

"That's was fun!" Tenten smiled as they walked out the dog pound, her face as bright as the sun that finally shone.

Although completely against her statement, he nodded beside her, amused at her expression but not at what she was commenting on. "So where are we going next?"

She eyed him, winking as she smirked. "It's a surprise."

Neji, who was curious and smiling _(not flustered, nope),_ just nodded, letting the enthusiastic girl take his hand and guide him to wherever she wanted them to go.

* * *

"MY BEAUTIFUL, YOUTHFUL BLOSSOM, TENTEN! IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU THIS FINE, YOUTHFUL MORNING!"

Neji covered his ears in order to protect his poor eardrums from ringing. Tenten suppressed a small smile as she giggled.

"Lee, it's so nice to- oh!" she greeted the loudmouthed man, who pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

Neji raised a brow and frowned. This was the second person – no, _guy_ – who hugged Tenten today. Doesn't she have any female friends, anywhere? (Not like he was jealous or anything, he was just… _curious _that she was surrounded by too many men. She needed more female friends.)

Pulling away from her keen friend's grasp, she smiled uneasily as she motioned at Neji. "This is Neji. Neji, this is Lee, a high school friend of mine."

He raised a brow as his hand shook the man's hand, wincing a little when the grip was too strong.

"My name is Rock Lee! I am an expert in five different kinds of martial arts!" Lee announced boldly, making Neji cringe.

"Ah, that's very nice." Neji replied, nodding. "At the age of ten I was an expert in ten different types of martial arts. Not like I'm bragging or anything."

Lee furrowed his think, dark eyebrows at this, and Tenten's eyes gleamed with fascination. "Neji, I never knew-"

"Then I shall challenge you!" the man announced loudly, making a few heads turn into their direction. Tenten bit her lip as a look of shock showed on her face.

"Neji, do you really think-"

"I accept then." Neji replied cockily as he crossed his arms against his chest. "Do you have a spare uniform in hand?"

"In fact, I do!" Lee responded; a fire in his eyes as he led Neji to the locker rooms.

Tenten could only watch and sigh as she waited for what was to happen, a small but amused smile on her lips.

* * *

"Neji, I never knew you could be that good in martial arts!"

The said man smirked at the compliment given to him. The two were now walking out of the sports complex, the sun peeking through a few clouds overhead. Tenten nodded, still amazed. "How could you still be so good with no practice at all?"

"They don't call me a Hyuuga prodigy for nothing, Tenten." he replied, the cocky smirk still on his lips.

"Oh, wipe off that cocky grin off your face, Neji." Tenten retorted, smiling a little when Neji narrowed his eyes. "Obviously Lee went easy on you. You hadn't been practicing every day, like him."

Neji chuckled. "Or Lee just can't stop my amazing prowess."

Tenten puffed her cheeks in annoyance, playfully punching his arm. "Stop it!"

"Okay," Neji huffed, amused as he looked ahead. "Just know that you're going to miss this cockiness when I leave-"

Tenten abruptly stopped in her tracks when she heard this, her face turning into something of masked horror and surprise.

"W-What…?"

Neji then realized what tumbled out of his lips, and he avoided her eyes.

"N-Nothing, forget what I said." he then muttered, walking in sync with her as they made their way to wherever she wanted to go. Tenten could only nod and drop the subject.

* * *

A silver bell's tinkle was the first thing they heard once they entered the shop. The smell of old, valuable items lingered in the air, making their noses scrunch. The woman at behind the counter then looked at them, eyes crinkling with amusement as she eyed the pair.

"Oh, Neji, Tenten, it's so nice for you both to stop by."

Tenten raised a brow, exchanging glances with Neji and the old lady. "You know Neji, ma'am?"

The old lady nodded, smiling. "Of course, why wouldn't I forget the man who spent possibly an hour looking for gift for a special someone?"

At this she looked incredulously at Neji, who seemed to look flustered. She giggled. "An hour…?"

"You didn't have to know that." he replied, turning away to hide the blush that unconsciously spread across his cheeks. "The dagger was a gift, so I couldn't just randomly pick any of the items here."

Tenten rolled her eyes, amused. The old lady behind the counter laughed, putting Neji in a more uncomfortable situation.

"So what are you two doing here?" she then asked when her laughed died down, eying the two who stood by the door.

"We're just going to look around." Tenten replied politely, smiling at the old lady who clasped her hands together in delight.

"Wonderful. Tell me if you find anything interesting, then." the old lady exclaimed, disappearing to the back door to leave the two alone.

The two then proceeded to browse through the old articles laid on shelves, picking up decade-old books and finding extremely old pieces of porcelain. There was comfortable silence as they did this, looking through anything and everything that caught their interest. From time to time they would glance at each other; smiling slightly everytime they caught each other.

This happened for a while until the old lady reappeared behind the counter, smiling lightly as she beckoned for Tenten to come closer. Tenten did this, and let the old lady whisper in her ear.

"… What?! But-"

This brought Neji's attention to the two, raising a brow as he watched Tenten's face turn into a light shade of pink. The old lady chuckled slightly as she watched Tenten shake her head, politely replying in a low voice. There was a moment before she then moved a step back, bowing slightly before approaching Neji who was watching.

Tenten raised a brow. "What?"

"What were you two talking about?" Neji inquired, putting down the book he was holding. At this Tenten's face flushed once again, looking away as she frowned.

"N-Nothing important." she replied, dragging his hand as they quickly thanked the old lady and walked out of the shop.

Neji tilted his head. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"No, now let's go." Tenten murmured as they walked through the streets.

"Where are we going?"

"What do you think? We're going to have lunch, of course!"

* * *

Tenten's right eye twitched uncomfortably as her hands gripped the leather menu in front of her. Albeit the wide array of Chinese food written on the menu, she bit her lip, looking over at Neji with an uneasy smile. She didn't know why she had agreed on this.

"Are you sure you're going to pay for this? I mean…" Tenten exclaimed, pointing at the item at the menu with the price of fifty dollars. "Look at the prices!"

Neji nodded, smirking as he did so. "Do you want free food or not?"

Tenten glared at him before puffing her cheeks in annoyance once again. Neji smirked in amusement and silence filled the between them as they thought of what they were going to eat.

But the silence got the better of Tenten as she put the menu down, eyeing Neji with a slight curiosity. "So, Neji..."

The said man looked up from the menu, setting it down on the table. She furrowed her eyebrows as she tilted her head.

"Why were you acting up last night? I mean… why did you leave all so suddenly?"

Neji's expression then darkened when he heard this, a frown on his lips as he looked down. She noticed this because she bit her lip, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

There was silence before she finally spoke up, looking up at him with an apologetic look. "Ah, I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk about it we don't have to."

He shook his head, looking at her as he sighed. "It's alright. I _did_ have to talk to you about it though."

She felt her stomach drop at this; her heart began beating rapidly as her face turned into a look of discomfort once again. "… What?"

He stifled a sigh as he looked at anything but her, biting his lip as he gulped. "You see, Tenten..."

Tenten looked at him eagerly, biting her lip as she braced herself for what he was about to say. She was absolutely positive that it was something she wouldn't like.

His voice was low and almost inaudible as he said. "Tenten…I'm moving away."

She looked at him dumbfounded. Feeling her throat constrict and her stomach pool, she blinked away the stingy feeling in her eyes as she held a hand to her chest at an attempt to stop it from beating so fast. A thousand thoughts swam through her head and it felt like it was spinning, trying to keep all the emotions _(sadness? pain? remorse? shock?)_ at bay. She watched as the man in front of her looked at her, and offered a sardonic smile.

There was only one thing she could ask him, voice cracking as her lip quivered. "… Why?"

"My uncle saw the improvement in my work and decided to let me handle one of Hyuuga companies." Neji explained, staring at the menu on the table. "He told this to me a couple of days ago, and I just couldn't object."

Tenten's eyes narrowed as the look on her face flashed hurt and confusion. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

There was a moment of silence before Neji looked up, his lavender eyes meeting her brown ones.

"… I didn't want to see you so sad." he replied, smiling sadly. "Unless you don't feel so bad about –"

"Well, guess what, idiot? I do." Tenten interjected, blinking away the tears that formed in her eyes. "I feel so bad about it…"

And without even finishing her sentence, Tenten abruptly stood up and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Neji to think about what he has actually done.

* * *

**Author's Note (2): **Alright, so lately I have been slightly upset that the last few chapters have had few reviews. I **love** receiving reviews. They inspire me to write (and actually finish stuff) and I would love to hear about what you guys would like to say about the story.

So, please (try) to review. :) Negative or positive or whatever you put in them reviews, I would be glad to read them.

(And, if I'm actually happy about them, I maybe able to announce something special.)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note: **Hello again! I apologize for the extremely long wait. My excuse? Ah, the usual writer's block and distractions (blame Hetalia, seriously that thing clings on to me like a koala).

First thing's first. I would like to thank **Clementive **for being confused (seriously, I was wondering who would ever notice that, virtual cookie for you.) Our Seven Days is basically one week so I was aiming for the Monday-to-Monday thing. Sorry about that. (I don't know if that made sense, oh well.)

Secondly, I would like to apologize for the errors/weird things you will read. I kind of rushed this for you guys. If you see any errors, feel free to point them out for me.

Okay, that's all for now. So go ahead and please enjoy the last chapter!

* * *

Tenten bit her lip as she inspected the package that sat on her lap. She had been staring at it for a while now, for how long, she did not know. It bothered her really, since no distant relative or even her parents would even care to send her anything, more so a pretty heavy one. But she was curious even more than bothered, for there was no return address embedded upon the parchment.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she tore open the parchment, tearing the brown paper until on her lap was a white box, a note taped on top which made her raise a brow. It was written in beautiful cursive, much akin to the one written on the wedding invitation.

_I had to ask the baristas in Starbucks about your address. _

_Fortunately a blonde girl on the shift before yours ended up telling me. (She told me you two were close. Glad you have a friend who isn't a male.)_

_In the box is the dress I promised to buy you. I wanted to take you to the boutique after lunch yesterday but you left even before I had the chance to ask you._

_It's the prettiest dress I found. I hope it fits you. Its color matches your eyes._

_Oh, and please come to the wedding. I want to see you… and you in that dress._

_Neji_

Tenten let out a small sigh in reading this, cheeks slightly red. It was very typical of Neji to write something like this (in beautiful Hyuuga handwriting, of course).

But despite the gift, she still felt forlorn. He was leaving soon, for heaven's sake! Although she had only known him for a week, and yet she wanted to know him more, to spend more time with him, to drink coffee with him on late nights talking about everything and anything.

Puffing her cheeks in annoyance, she put the note aside and opened the box, revealing the dress Neji had bought her. She gasped in amazement as she held it up. It was a lacey, cream-colored dress, with sleeves just falling off her shoulders. The hem extended to her kneecaps, much to her liking. Pearls threaded along the

"It's beautiful," she breathed, inspecting the dress carefully.

Looking at the note that sat beside her once again, she smiled softly, bringing the note close to her chest.

"Of course I'm going to the wedding, idiot."

* * *

**_Monday_**

_ Pisces: Endings give life to beginnings. _

* * *

An anxious Tenten toyed with the hem of her skirt as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Instead of the usual two chignon buns up, her hair was down in a simple braid. For the first time in a while (years), she put make-up on her face, dabbing her cheeks with some blush and putting lipstick on her face to add color to her pale, chapped lips. Fortunately, the dress Neji bought her fit her perfectly (coincidence, perhaps?) and matched the only pair of heels she owned (most of her footwear consisted of sneakers).

Now she sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for the doorbell to ring. Fortunately took the time to reread the note, this time finding the not-so-obvious post-script written at the back. (P.S., I'll be taking you to the venue. Please wait for me in your apartment.)

And although she looked perfectly calm albeit the anxiousness in her actions, a thousand and one thoughts still swam in her head. She was still extremely saddened by the thought of Neji leaving and not telling her any sooner. But, then again, even if he had told her sooner, wouldn't she still feel the same? He will still leave her either way. He would still follow his uncle's orders and move to another state, leaving her and eventually forgetting the week they spent together. Everything at Starbucks would then return to normal – a quiet, peaceful atmosphere in her workplace, tuning into her thoughts instead of the man she had grown to like (emphasis on _like_).

She snapped out of her train of thought when she then felt a strange liquid trickling down her cheek. Quickly realizing it was a tear, she grabbed for the tissue box on her nightstand and dabbed it off, hoping it did not smudge any of her makeup. Stifling a sigh, she tried to focus more on positive thoughts, like the wedding she was to attend.

A few minutes after her little scene with the tissue box, the doorbell rang and this made Tenten stand up quickly, walking to the door. As she opened it, her breath slightly hitched at the sight of lavender eyes staring back at her.

"H-Hey Neji," she breathed, her lips turning into a smile.

"Good morning, Tenten." Neji smiled as leaned on the door frame, eyeing Tenten's outfit. "You look beautiful today."

"Eh, today only?!" she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest as she jutted out her lower lip.

At this Neji chuckled, eyes showing a glint of amusement. "This is the prettiest you've been."

Tenten looked away, giggling as to hide the blush that was now spreading across her cheeks. "Well you look very handsome today, Mister Hyuuga."

"Well, thank you." Neji replied, grinning cockily. "I _did_ dress for the occasion. I am the best man after all."

"Alright Neji, if you say so." Tenten giggled, rolling her eyes.

He raised his brow. "Seriously, I am the best man for the wedding."

Her eyes widened at this. "W-Well if that's the case, we have to go, then! We can't be late!"

Chuckling, he smiled as Tenten scurried to grab her purse, amused by the priceless look on her face.

* * *

"W-Wow, this looks so amazing!"

Neji smirked at Tenten who seemed to be amazed at the setup of the cathedral in which the wedding was to take place. Pristine bouquets of snowdrops decorated each pew, with white linen cloth adding a more immaculate feel to the place. A crystal chandelier hung from above, accompanied by a collection of murals that surrounded it.

"Chinese marriage rituals are different from this." she explained as they walked through the aisle. She clung on to Neji's arm as they did so, making the man quite flustered.

"A-Ah, I see. Well, let me introduce you to the others, then." Neji said as they neared the front of the altar, where people were conversing.

Tenten clung on harder to Neji's arm as they reached the front of the altar, the peoples' conversation dying as they looked to greet the man. The only person she found familiar was the bridegroom himself, whose blue eyes widened at the sight of the two of them.

"Ah, hello Neji and Tenten! Glad you two can make it!" he greeted, grinning as he patted Neji's shoulder.

"Congratulations on your wedding, Naruto." Tenten smiled.

Naruto's blue eyes crinkled with amusement as he smiled softly. "Thanks, Tenten! I'm pretty lucky to have a bride like Hinata."

Tenten's smile widened at this, and Neji began introducing her to the other guests of the wedding. She was surprised to meet the famous philanthropist Sasuke Uchiha and his wife Sakura, who seemed to be really close childhood friends to the bridegroom. There was also Shikamaru Nara and his assistant Choji Akimichi, who are Naruto's colleagues in the company. Shino Aburame was Hinata's high school friend and now her secretary at one of the prestigious Hyuuga companies.

"It's nice to meet you all." Tenten murmured as she shook hands with everyone. Albeit their prestigious titles, Tenten did not find them intimidating at all, joining along on their conversations and replying when needed.

After a few conversations here and there, Naruto finally spoke up as he looked at his watch, biting his lip as he smirked uneasily.

"It's time, so it'd be best if you guys take your seats now! Except Neji, of course, since he's the best man."

At this Tenten glanced at Neji, who seemed to be looking back at her. Offering a smile, she then walked with the rest of the group and sat beside Sakura, waiting for the wedding to begin.

And before taking his position by the altar, Naruto leaned into Neji's ear and smiled.

"You're lucky to have someone like her, Neji. Don't break her heart."

Neji, who was glancing at Tenten, smiled sadly as he nodded. "I'll try not to."

* * *

Tenten smiled uneasily as she stared at her hands which lay on her lap. There was an unsettling feeling in her stomach and she tried to shake it off, letting out small, shaky breaths. She tried to ignore the fact that she was sitting alone with the female newlywed, who was smiling as she looked at the people dancing.

"… Tenten, right?"

The said girl flinched slightly at the sound of her name. She looked at the speaker and offered a meek smile.

"Ah, yes, Mrs. Uzumaki."

Hinata let out a soft laugh as she continued to look on. "I'm not used to be called such a name."

"Oh, I apologize for that." Tenten said, letting out an uneasy laugh.

There was an awkward silence as Tenten continued on to stare at her hands, with Hinata still smiling at the people who were merrymaking. Tenten didn't know what to say, moreover to a newlywed who is an heiress of the Hyuuga clan! She was definitely out of Tenten's league, that's for sure.

But then again, does that make Neji out of her league as well?

Thinking of something to say, she was then surprised to hear the Hyuuga speak, turning to Tenten with a smile.

"Neji speaks a lot about you." Hinata murmured. "And how you changed his life, apparently."

Tenten's eyes widened at this, looking up at the bride with a shocked look on her face. "W-What?"

"His work for the past week impressed father so much he asked Neji to work in one of his companies." She explained. "And he's happier now. He doesn't sulk like before."

"Is that so…" Tenten trailed off, bidding her face to not turn red. "Well I'm glad I changed his life."

Hinata giggled before letting out a soft sigh. "I'm sad he's going to leave though. Things will be more different with him gone. What do you think, Tenten?"

The said woman's eyes scrunched as she bit her lip. "… Yeah, I agree with that. I'm going to miss him too."

* * *

"I told you, Neji! I'm not good at dancing!"

Neji let out a chuckle as he spun Tenten around in time to the music, completely ignoring her protests. It was the time of the reception where couples were to dance with the newlyweds, and after a few pleads here and there Tenten finally gave in to Neji's request.

"You danced with me last Wednesday, am I correct? You weren't bad, really."

"I stepped on your foot twice."

He raised a brow as Tenten stopped dancing, looking at him with her eyebrows scrunched and her bottom lip jutted out.

"At least it didn't bleed, yes?"

"Well that's true, but still..." Tenten trailed off, looking away as she frowned. "We needed to put cold compress on your feet after that."

Neji chuckled at this as he held on to Tenten, who slightly jumped at the contact. "That may be the case, but let this be one of my last memories of you, yes?"

At this Tenten's face instantly fell, her smile a sad one as she looked up at Neji. "Alright, fine."

And so they danced, solemn and graceful like once before. Tenten felt her heart ache with every step she took, her palms turning sweaty as they were clasped with Neji's. She remembered the week they spent together, the endless nights filled with conversation and thoughts that she never seemed to think about. She remembered the caffeine and _him_, the man who proved her beliefs wrong. _He_, who took her breath away with his silky, smooth voice (and hair). _He_, who made her heart beat erratically with his never-ending lavender eyes and cocky smile. _He_, who stepped into her life with the grandiose family name and changing fate. _He_, who made her believe not just in horoscopes and tarot cards but in hope and destiny and fate as well.

_He_, with whom she had fallen in love with at first sight.

Ah, she has come to a conclusion now, hasn't she? That yes, she has fallen in love with the Hyuuga, ever since day one began.

And now he is leaving, and she cannot do anything about it.

"Tenten, are you crying?"

Only at the sound of his voice did she snap back to reality, noticing the tears that were steadily streaming down her face. They fell like raindrops on a windowpane, trickling down her face slowly as Neji watched her with widened eyes of concern and curiosity.

"Ah, yes actually." She replied, letting go of Neji's hand to wipe away some tears. "Don't worry about me, though."

Neji's face cringed at the sight of her tears, letting out a sigh. "Tenten, don't cry. There's something I need to tell you."

Tenten looked up at this, wiping away her tears hastily as she raised a brow. Although wiping them away, tears still subconsciously streamed down her face, making him laugh a bit.

"Stop crying first." He said, wiping away a tear from her cheek.

She giggled as she trying wiping away the tears as well. "I'm trying to; they just don't want to stop."

After a few minutes of wiping away the tears that subconsciously fell from Tenten's eyes, they finally stopped, leaving her eyes puffy and her breathing slightly unlabored.

"That's better." He murmured, letting out a sigh of relief as she smiled slightly.

"So what were you going to tell me?" she asked, linking her hand with Neji's as they began to dance once again.

Then there was silence as Neji's face scrunched, a blush tinting his cheeks as he looked away from his dance partner. Tenten tilted her head at this; curious at what he would want to tell her. It would probably be a good-bye message to her, she thought. And at this thought her heart beat faster than usual, face wrinkling with anticipation.

"Well you see, Tenten…" he began. "I think I love you. Well I don't think I love you because I know I do. I know a week isn't really enough to fall in love with someone, but I know this is love."

Watching Tenten's eyes widen and her pale cheeks turn red, he smiled as he continued on, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I want to know you more, and there's a job in my uncle's company as my executive assistant. I wanted to ask you yesterday but you left even before I could ask you."

Tenten felt her heart flutter and her stomach flip as she looked into Neji's lavender eyes. Although tongue-tied in her thoughts, she heard herself murmur a few words. "What is it?"

"I want you…" he began, twirling her around in time to the music. "… to come with me, Tenten. Let's start an adventure together."

And with that the ache in her chest began to dissipate, her face brightening as she titled her head back in laughter. Never in her life had she felt so happy, and it was all because of this man, this man who changed her life in a span of a week. Resting her head on his chest, she felt her head ache slightly as she nodded continuously, tears falling from her face once again.

Everything was going to be alright. They were going to be alright.

This was just the beginning of something new.

* * *

_End._

* * *

**Author's Note (2): **I want to thank you guys for reading, following, and reviewing this story. Without you guys, I probably wouldn't make it this far. Virtual marshmallows and cookies for you all.

As for the surprise announcement...

If you aren't satisfied with the ending, well it's okay because **there will be a sequel** entitled **Maybe Tomorrow. **It will be a series of one-shots after the events of Our Seven Days. Not only will our amazing Neji Hyuuga and Tenten be there, but the entire cast as well!

So if you're looking forward for that, keep an eye on my profile!

Oh, and the 100th reviewer of Our Seven Days gets to suggest a plot for the sequel. I will be keeping an eye on the reviews, so watch out, 100th reviewer!

Thanks again for reading Our Seven Days! :)


End file.
